Making Universal Healthcare a Reality

“Of all forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.” - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Health care is an essential safeguard of human life and dignity and there is an obligation... to ensure that every person be able to realize this right.” - the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin

The backdrop to the October 18th PA Conference on the Healthcare Crisis was a presidential campaign offering two competing programs, one abysmal, the other inadequate.

Neither addresses the basic problem — how the chokehold of HMOs, insurance and pharmaceutical industries’ threatens our very lives with: grotesque inefficiencies, skyrocketing costs and profits, 45 million lacking coverage and others losing benefits, while everyone pays more.

Is there a way out? Yes! Dr. Quentin Young, a doctor of over fifty years, coordinates Physicians for a National Health Program (www.pnhp.org). In a lively keynote address, he said that we have resources to provide everyone with prescription drugs, mental health care for the aged and disabled. We have facilities, a trained workforce, and high-tech capability, but the “free-market” overhead is one dollar in four for bureaucracy, advertising, profits, executive salaries, and fines for corporate violations. We already pay for national health insurance but don’t get it.

Dr. Walter Tsou, President of the American Public Health Association, noted that US corporations can’t afford to compete with those in nations with universal healthcare. General Motors pays $60 billion for health benefits so it’s cheaper to export jobs. “Ideology trumps rationality,” he said, when, despite all evidence, we believe that “the market solves all problems.”

Businesses and non-profits are cutting or dropping benefits in order to survive so those in the small business workshop were glad to hear about lowering their costs. They not only must compete with giants such as WalMart that pay little or no benefits and foist their workers’ healthcare costs on the taxpayers.

Participants In the small business workshop had a harder time seeing health care as a basic right. It seems too good to be true to think that a universal single-payer plan would save money but it’s true.

On the labor front the biggest issue is healthcare benefits as employers try to cut back or cut out coverage. The growing number of uninsured face incredibly high bills since hospitals charge them more than the insurance companies. Healthcare bills now cause 45 % of bankruptcies.
There are a number of hopeful signs at the state and grassroots level. “Philadelphia,” said Tsou, “passed by three to one an amendment to the City Charter requiring a local universal plan, now being developed by Princeton University.”

California and Maine have passed bills. Lawrence Lavin, Director of the National Health Law Program, and Chris O’Neill discussed these innovative approaches. Fifteen other states have bills in the hopper.

“We must do away with the ideological Holy War,” he said. Maine is costing out models, including a universal plan with a Health Action Team that brings together stakeholders to define problem areas.

Philadelphia Rep. Kathy Manderino touched off a lively discussion about the dilemma between support for a single-payer system and an incremental approach. The danger is accepting a plan that puts off true reform rather than moving toward it. O’Neill said, “Keep the eyes on the prize,” and to keep it simple. Manderino will work with us as we attempt to gain sponsors for state action within both parties.

Steven Thomas, Director for Minority Health at the University of Pittsburgh, reminded us of civil rights and workers’ struggles. “Our weapon is moral suasion,” he said, as race and other disparities are put front and center. The study, Unequal Treatment, demonstrates how white patients received very different treatment than blacks with similar economic status and symptoms.

Robert Torres, Deputy Secretary of the PA Department of Health, cited health disparities faced by the growing number of Hispanics in PA.
This piece only offers some highlights of an incredibly rich learning experience. Thanks to Charlie Crystle and Pam Oddo for their incredible work. PUSH is working to build a statewide coalition for the fight for universal healthcare. Join us! www.geocities.org/molly_rush

- Molly Rush is a co-founder of the Thomas Merton Center and active organizer with PUSH.